Q: Ira, Bam Adebayo could not have sent a better message or done it at a better time, hitting all those 3-pointers in front of Erik Spoelstra with the Olympic team. Free Bam. Let it fly. – Samson.
A: It certainly was heartening to see Bam Adebayo step into and convert those three 3-pointers in Wednesday’s Team USA Olympic warmup victory over Serbia. But that also was with Anthony Davis alongside in the lineup, attracting plenty of attention in the post, attention that most of Bam’s Heat teammates in the power rotation might not exactly command (with all due respect to the timeline of Kel’el Ware). What happened Wednesday has to continue to happen – a lot – to make enough 3-pointers, no matter the competition, to draw the eventual attention of opposing defenses and create the necessary gravity to space opposing defenses. Wednesday showed the possibilities, which made it more than just a random offseason exhibition. And it came with plenty around the NBA noticing.
Q: In summer league play, Pelle Larsson looks solid on defense but lost on offense against this level of competition. Can his contract be converted to a two-way contract in favor of someone like Josh Christopher, who appears to be more ready now? – Bob, Juno Beach.
A: No, Pelle Larsson is signed to a standard deal and locked into that contract. But there also is a huge benefit to such a contract for a second-round pick since it counts only half against the salary cap of a standard contract. At $1.2 million against the tax and apron, Pelle’s contract stands as a value deal. Christopher, or any other player, would cost twice that amount against the cap and tax.
Q: I see Erik Spoelstra smiling all the way from Abu Dhabi. – M.H.R.
A: This was in response to a post about summer-league coach Dan Bisaccio going small at the end of the second quarter of Wednesday’s game against the Mavericks. But this summer roster seems to present plenty for Erik Spoelstra to mold during training camp, from the Heat culture of Keshad Johnson, to the length of Kel’el Ware, to the craftiness of Isaiah Stevens.
